478 



NEW ENGLAND FABMER. 



Oct. 



For the New England Farmer. 



HOW SHALL THE FARMER IMPROVE 

 HIS MIND? 



A correspondent of the Farmer, who writes 

 excellent articles under the title "Retrospective 

 Notes," regards my ideas concerning the cultiva- 

 tion of the farmer's mind as Utopian or impracti- 

 cable. This is a pretty severe criticism, but as 

 every production of the hands or brain must always 

 go through a process oi sifting, I may as well be 

 resigned to the operation, and think myself well 

 off if anything remains in the sieve after the shak- 

 ing has ceased. 



From his writings, I conclude that the author of 

 the "Notes" is a man of extensive knowledge and 

 experience. Will he inform his readers hoio he 

 acquired this knowledge, and how he learned to 

 write such interesting and valuable reviews ? He 

 should not withhold this information from the 

 public ; for, if every farmer understood his art as 

 well, and could write as clearly and forcibly as our 

 reviewer, there would soon be a great revolution 

 and reformation in the farming community. I 

 love to see an intelligent farmer or mechanic — 

 one who is thoroughly acquainted, not only with 

 the principles and practice of his own occupation, 

 but has a knowledge of many other things, and a 

 cultivated mind. Oj)inions differ as to the best 

 means of acquiring this knowledge and culture, 

 but it matters not how it is done, if the thing is ] 

 only accomijlished. Whether we are in the house j 

 with our children and friends ; in a study, libra- 1 

 ry, or room by ourselves ; in the shop ; in the 

 field ; or in the silent woodlands ; thei'e must 

 somewhere be patient study and application, or no 

 real progress will be made in self-improvement. 



It has been said that a little knowledge is ai 

 dangerous possession. Must laboring men and 

 women remain in total ignorance because they j 

 cannot, like Humboldt, compass llie whole field of j 

 knowledge, and be able, like him, to write al 

 "Cosmos?" I answer, iVo. Let them rather strive, I 

 by every means in their power, to reach so sub- j 

 lime an elevation, even if the difliculties of the 

 way seem insurmountable. S. L. White. 



A CHEAP AND GOOD SMOKE-HOUSE. 

 A Western New York farmer publishes his plan 

 of a small, cheap and good smoke-house, which, 

 as it may contain some practical hints for our own 

 readers, we append: 



No farmer should be without a good smoke- 

 house, and such a one as will be fire-proof and tol- 

 erably secure from thieves. Fifty hams can be 

 smoked at one time, in a smoke-house seven by 

 eight feet square. Mine is six by seven, and is 

 large enough for most farmers. I first dug all the 

 grouiul out below where the frost would reach, 

 and filled it up to the surface with small stones, 

 On tliis I laid my brick floor, in lime mortar. The 

 walls are brick, eight inches thick, and seven feet 

 high, with a door on one side two feet wide. The 

 door should be made of wood, and lined with 

 sheet iron. For the top I put on joists, two by 

 four, set up edgewise, and eight and a half inches 

 from centre to centre, covered with brick, and put 

 on a heavy coat of mortar. I built a small chim- 

 ney on the top in the centre, arching it over and 



covering it with a single roof in the usual way. 

 An arch should be built on the outside, with a 

 small iron door to shut it up, similar to a stove 

 door, with a hole from the arch through the wall 

 of the smoke-house, and an iron grate over it. 

 This arch is much more convenient and better to 

 put the fire in, than to build a fire inside the 

 smoke-house, and the chimney causes a draft 

 through into the smoke-house. Good corn cobs, 

 or hickory wood are tiie best materials to make a 

 smoke for hams. The cost of such a smoke-house 

 as I have described is about $20. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES, 

 COUNTY SOCIETIES. 



I perceive that the Worcester County Agricul- 

 tural Society, and some other societies, have de- 

 termined not to avi'ard premiums for cattle the 

 present year. I presume this is on the principle 

 that when arms prevail, all other things must give 

 place — in conformity with a classical maxim, that 

 my memory fails to command. I am by no means 

 certain they are not right in this movement. It 

 is hardly possible to take hold with an active in- 

 terest in the trifling engagements of an ordinary 

 cattle show, v.'hen the more pressing wants of the 

 country are calling aloud from every border of 

 the Potomac and the plain of Virginia, and our 

 brothers and sons are lying prostrate on these 

 plains. If ever there was a time when action was 

 called for, it is the present. Let every one who 

 can shoulder a musket do so — and if he can't use 

 a musket to advantage, let him take his pitchfork 

 in hand, and go forth with a determination to ef- 

 fectually quell this rascally rebellion. I have no 

 patience when I think of it, because there is no 

 honestv, reason or propriety in it. 



August 10, 1862. Old Put. 



GARGET IN COWS. 



Please inform me through the Farmer what will 

 cure the g-irget in cows. I have a nice cow but 

 she is very much troubled with the garget — fre- 

 quently gives curdly milk, and her bag swells. 



Eiickland, Aug., 1802. J. Phiubrook. 



Remarks. — What is called garget in cows is 

 probably occasioned by colds or by some injury to 

 the udder. We cannot prescribe a certain reme- 

 dy. Bathing the bag in warm water is good to 

 allay inflammation. A few drops of the tincture 

 of arnica, in the water, will have a happy effect. 

 The milk should all be drawn from the bag three 

 times each day, and the cow kept quiet. If the 

 milk become discolored and mixed with matter or 

 with blood, the evacuations must be watched, and 

 if it seem necessary, a dose of physic administered. 



THE FLANDERS APPLE. 



I send you a few apples, known in this vicinity 

 as the Flanders apple, of the qualities of which you 

 can be your own judge. I have, also, put a few 

 potatoes into the bottom of the box, in order that 

 you may test their qualities. In 18o9 I planted 

 the seed taken from the balls the fiiU previous, 

 and obtained a few potatoes, the size of a hen's 

 Q^^. In 1860 I planted my seedlings, and ob- 



